Bus powered wireless transmitter

A distributed system for monitoring an industrial process within an industrial plant, the system comprising:

• a control/monitoring center;
• a plurality of field devices for sensing or altering the industrial process, each field device having a transducer and a wireless transceiver for communicating signals between the field device and the control/monitoring center;
• and
• a plant-wide power bus comprising a wire carrying an unfiltered voltage potential for delivering a voltage potential to each of the plurality of field devices, wherein the power bus does not include and is separate from any communication signal path between the control/monitoring center and the field devices.

A distributed control and/or monitoring system in an industrial plant, the system comprising:

• a control/monitoring center;
• a plurality of field devices, each field device having a transducer;
• a plurality of wireless transceivers, each wireless transceiver for sending and receiving wireless signals between the control/monitoring center and one or more of the plurality of field devices, each wireless transceiver being in electrical communication with at least one of the plurality of field devices;
• and
• power supplies for supplying power from a plant-wide power bus to the wireless transceivers and to the plurality of field devices, wherein the power bus does not include and is separate from any communication signal path between the control/monitoring center and the field devices.

A method for retrofitting an existing field device network in an industrial plant for wireless communications, the method comprising:

• installing a first wireless transceiver in communication with a control/monitoring center;
• installing a second wireless transceiver on an existing plant-wide power bus and in communication with one or more field devices;
• and
• configuring the second wireless transmitter to communicate with the one or more field devices and to transmit data wirelessly from the one or more field devices to the control/monitoring center in addition to data transmitted over an existing communication link;
• wherein the power bus does not include and is separate from any communication signal path between the control/monitoring center and the field devices.

A distributed field device system comprising:

• a single-wire plant-wide power bus;
• and
• a plurality of wireless field devices, each wireless field device comprising:
• a transducer;
• a wireless transceiver for sending information from the transducer to a control
• center;
• and
• power circuitry for drawing adequate power from the single-wire plant-wide power bus to power the transducer and the wireless transceiver;
• wherein the power bus does not include and is separate from any communication signal path to or from the field devices.

A field device for use in an industrial plant having a plant-wide power bus, the field device comprising:

• a transducer;
• a wireless transceiver;
• a power terminal for connecting the field device to the plant-wide power bus;
• a ground connection for electrically grounding the field device;
• and
• an internal power supply circuit connected to the power terminal and the ground connection for supplying power to the transducer and the wireless transceiver;
• wherein the power bus does not include and is separate from any communication signal path to or from the field devices.

A field device for use in an industrial plant having a plant-wide power bus, the field device comprising:

• a housing;
• a circuit disposed within the housing, the circuit comprising:
• a wireless transceiver for wireless communication with a control/monitoring center;
• a transducer;
• and
• an electrical terminal connectable to the plant-wide power bus for delivering power to the wireless transceiver and the transducer from the plant-wide power bus;
• wherein the power bus does not include and is separate from any communication signal path between the control/monitoring center and the field devices.

A field device for use in an industrial plant having a plant-wide power bus, the field device comprising:

• a transducer and/or an actuator;
• a wireless transceiver;
• and
• a power supply circuit connectable to the plant-wide power bus for delivering power to the transducer and/or the actuator and to the wireless transceiver;
• wherein the power bus does not include and is separate from any communication signal path to or from the field devices.

A distributed control and/or monitoring system comprising:

• a control/monitoring center;
• a plurality of field devices, each field device having a transducer;
• a plurality of wireless transceivers, each wireless transceiver for sending and receiving wireless signals between the control/monitoring center and one or more of the plurality of field devices, each wireless transceiver being in electrical communication with at least one of the plurality of field devices;
• power supplies for supplying power from an existing power circuit to the wireless transceivers and to the plurality of field devices;
• a four-wire bus comprising:
• a two-wire power bus in electrical communication with each of the power supplies;
• and
• a two-wire communication bus connecting the control center with each field device;
• wherein the wireless transducer wirelessly transmits data from each sensor to the control center that is not otherwise transmitted over the two-wire communication bus.

A distributed control and/or monitoring system comprising:

• a control/monitoring center;
• a plurality of field devices, each field device having a transducer;
• a plurality of wireless transceivers, each wireless transceiver for sending and receiving wireless signals between the control/monitoring center and one or more of the plurality of field devices, each wireless transceiver being in electrical communication with at least one of the plurality of field devices;
• power supplies for supplying power from an existing power circuit to the wireless transceivers and to the plurality of field devices;
• a two-wire bus connecting the field devices and the control/monitoring center;
• and
• wherein the wireless transceivers transmit data wirelessly from the field devices that is not otherwise transmitted over the two-wire bus.

A distributed control and/or monitoring system comprising:

• a control/monitoring center;
• a plurality of field devices having no hardwired communication link to the control/monitoring center and each other wherein each of the plurality of field devices communicate wirelessly with the control/monitoring center through a self-organizing wireless network, each field device comprising:
• a transducer;
• a wireless transceiver for communicating wirelessly;
• and
• a common power bus for delivering power to each field device, wherein the power bus does not include and is separate from any communication signal path between the control/monitoring center and the field devices.